Author: Gloria Lamar Johnson

SUSPECTED bandits have killed a traditional title holder, the Ardo of Birni and Kewaye of Zazzau Emirate, Alhaji Shuaibu Mohammed, and his four children. The incident occurred on Saturday night at about 10pm in Dorayi village of Zaria Local Government Area, Kaduna State. The bandits numbering five also rustled 100 cows belonging to the deceased. The wife of the deceased, Malama Halima Shuaibu, told newsmen after the funeral of the victims that the bandits shot her husband in the head. “Ardo was brought out of his bedroom and shot twice in his head, and he died instantly. “The bandits went…

SIX out of the seven kidnapped students at the University of Jos have regained their freedom after spending two days in captivity. The students who live off campus were kidnapped on Wednesday night in their rooms around Ring Road area of Jos North Local Government Area of the state. The state Commissioner of Police who disclosed the release of the victims in a statement said the police had intensified efforts to rescue the last victim. The statement reads, “Today, the Plateau State Command is pleased to announce to the general public that five of the victims who were kidnapped on…

UNKNOWN gunmen have abducted seven students of the University of Jos. DSP Alfred Alabo, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Police Command in Plateau State, confirmed the incident to the newsmen on Wednesday in Jos. According to Alabo, the students were abducted on Monday night at their hostel located outside the campus. He explained that the students were whisked away while reading for their second-semester examinations that commenced on Tuesday. “It is true that seven students of the University of Jos were abducted by some criminal elements. “They were picked up on Monday at about 8:30pm at their…

THE kidnapped Parish Priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Karku in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Reverend Father Jeremiah Yakubu has been released by his abductors. News Point Nigeria reports that this was confirmed by the Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan, Father Emmanuel Okolo, who said that the kidnapped priest regained his freedom on Monday evening. He, however, did not disclose if any ransom was paid or not before the abducted priest was released. Yakubu was kidnapped from the parish rectory in the Kauru Local Government at about 11 pm on Sunday. Kidnapping for ransom is…

A TRADITIONAL ruler in Plateau State, Joshua Mutkut, has been kidnapped by gunmen, News Point Nigeria gathered. News Point Nigeria learnt that Mutkut, who is the paramount ruler of the Mushere community in Bokkos Local Government Area of the state, was abducted at his palace in the locality on Sunday night. The governor of the state, Caleb Mutfwang, confirmed the development on Monday while appearing on a programme organised to celebrate Democracy Day in the state. In the same vein, the parish priest of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Karku in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Reverend Father Jeremiah…

THE governor of Plateau State, Caleb Mutfwang, has revealed that no fewer than 150 people have been killed in the Mangu Local Government Area of the state in the last three weeks. The state has over the years been battling with security challenges often involving the killing of citizens by unidentified gunmen. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday monitored by News Point Nigeria, Governor Mutfwang lamented the increase in attacks in the state in recent weeks. “Last night four people were killed in Mangu. Conservatively, I will put it that in the last three weeks, we have buried…

THE Federal Government’s fiscal operations in the early part of this year have resulted into a 22.8 per cent rise in deficit spending in February 2023. The development was driven by a huge drop in oil revenue during the period. The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, in its Monthly Economic Report, MER, for February 2023 released yesterday, indicated that the deficit during the month of February was N513.05 billion, bringing the total deficit for the first two months of 2023 to N931 billion. The report indicated that the oil sector, which had recorded a growth of 31 per cent to…

THREE family members have been reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Monday at Greenland community behind 500 Housing Estate, Ganaja in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State. The incident occurred at about 9 pm on Monday according to eyewitnesses, as residents within the community scampered for safety. According to eyewitness accounts, the gunmen came with a Siena bus shooting sporadically with the aim of kidnapping their prime target who happened to be a retired security officer. The Chairman of the Greenland community Ajaokuta Local Government Area Kogi State, Paul Atabor confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Wednesday. Atabor…

EXPERTS in Migration, Humanitarian Affairs and Health Specialists are currently meeting in Abuja to elaborate a contingency plan for the management of displaced parsons in the ECOWAS region. The 5-day workshop, which opened on Monday in the Nigerian capital, will focus on the current situation of returning African migrants, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and asylum-seekers in the ECOWAS region. Declaring the workshop open, the Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Madam Damtien L. Tchintchibidja, noted that its was the collective responsibility of ECOWAS as a regional body and regional health organization to respond to the various alerts by reflecting…

THE convoy of the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello was on Saturday blocked and attacked by people believed to be supporters of a rival. The incident which occured at about 12.30 hours left many people injured. According to a statement issued by Kingsley Femi Fanwo, the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, the attack took place near the Naval Base, few kilometres from Lokoja. Fanwo noted that the convoy of Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, having sighted that of the Governor, blocked the road and Ajaka’s armed thugs started shooting sporadically at the convoy of the Governor. The statement reads: “A…

A BENUE State High Court has upheld the suspension of former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu. Ayu was in March suspended by his Nyorov council ward exco over failure to pay dues, abruptly ending his reign as the PDP National Chairman. The ward exco had also accused Ayu of anti-party activities after which they passed a vote of no confidence on him. While reading their resolution at the time, the secretary of the party in Igyorov ward, Vanger Dooyum, said Ayu’s anti-party activities – alongside his allies – contributed to PDP’s loss in his ward…

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has received in audience members of the Progressives Governors Forum at the State House. The governors were led by the Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, who only recently was elected Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum. Among those in attendance are nine newly-elected governors and eleven others who are returning for a second term. There are suggestions that the meeting which marks the first official interaction between President Tinubu and the APC governors since his inauguration earlier this week, may have as part of its agenda, the selection of leaders for the National Assembly, ministerial appointments, as…

FOLLOWING the controversial unveiling of the new national carrier, Nigeria Air, with an Ethiopian Airline aircraft, the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation has summoned the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, Dr Emmanuel Meribole to an emergency meeting over the project. The committee headed by Honourable Nnolim Nnaji directed Meribole to come along with every document and personnel connected with the national carrier. News Point Nigeria had reported that the Federal Government last Friday unveiled Nigeria Air to Nigeria, a development that created major uproar nationwide. It was also gathered that Ethiopian Airline had repainted and rebranded one of its…

IN both nations efforts to enhance flight connectivity, Nigeria and Finland have signed a Memoradum of Understanding (MoU) on May 23, 2023  in Helsinki, Finland. The MoU was a follow-up to the initialed Air Services Agreement (ASA) between Nigeria and Finland at the last International Civil Aviation Negotiation (ICAN) Event which held in Abuja, December 2022. The MoU provides for the designated airlines from Nigeria and Finland to have code share arrangement with another carrier of choice. The arrangement will alleviate the problems of connectivity of passengers travelling on the Nigerian-Finnish route. The Head of Nigerian Delegation to Finland, comprising…

THE Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria wins Award at  the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO’s) Symposium in Seoul, South Korea. The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria in Kaduna State, has won an award as the best Aviation Training Institution in the World with the highest number of trained instructors. The Award was bestowed on the College on Wednesday, 31st May, 2023 at the on-going 2023 ICAO Global Implementation Support Symposium (GISS) holding in Seoul, South Korea. The Symposium with the theme “Working Together for an Innovative and Sustainable Global Aviation Community ” was organised by ICAO in…

THE Nigerian National Petrol Company (NNPC) Limited has confirmed the hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit also known as petrol. The price adjustment by the NNPC is coming some 48 hours after President Bola Tinubu announced an end to the subsidy era during his inaugural speech at the Eagle Square on May 29, 2023. Fuel queues have since resurfaced across the country since the presidential pronouncement as Nigerians forage for the premium product which is now sold from N400/litre to as high as N600/litre. NNPC spokesman, Garba Deen Muhammad, in a statement on Wednesday said the price…

TWO Senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senators Mathew Urhogide and Ayo Akinyelure have resigned from the party. The notice of their resignations was contained in two separate letters addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and read during Wednesday’s plenary session. Senator Urhogide represents Edo South Senatorial District in the red chamber while Senator Akinyelure represents Ondo Central Senatorial District. In the letter, Senator Urhogide said his decision to resign is because of the inability of the PDP to reconcile the power struggle in the party.

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari will address Nigeria Sunday morning, his office has said. President Buhari’s spokesperson, Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement late Saturday. The statement reads in full: President Muhammadu Buhari will make a farewell broadcast as President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces on Sunday, May 28, at 7 am. Television, radio stations and other electronic media outlets are enjoined to hook up to the network services of the Nigerian Television Authority and Radio Nigeria for the broadcast. Femi Adesina Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity) May 27, 2023

AN aircraft in Nigeria Air colours was today sighted at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia. This newspaper gathered that the aircraft is scheduled to land at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja later today. Recall that the Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, had stated that an aircraft in Nigeria Air colours is on its way to Nigeria in less than 24 hours. However, the development has created serious uproar, as experts, and stakeholders questioned the rationale behind the launch barely 72 hours to the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration. They also wondered how the aircraft can fly…

AS PART part of the drive to revamp health infrastructure in the country, the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals has handed over a fully equipped state-of-the-art hospital building with over 200 bed capacity to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH. The facility was commissioned on Wednesday by the Governor of Lagos State Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu through his deputy, Mr. Obafemi Hamzat. Abayomi (left); Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire; Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat and Chief Medical Director, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH),…